Brand: University of South Carolina Press The Cultural Economy of Falum Gong in China: A Rhetorical Perspective (Studies in Rhetoric/Communication)

Examines the evolving relationship between Falun Gong and Chinese authorities, providing a revealing case study of the powerful public discourse between a pervasive political ideology and an alternative agenda in contention for cultural dominance. This deftly employs Western rhetorical methodology in a compelling critique of an Eastern rhetorical occurrence, highlighting how authority confronts challenge in post-socialist China. From the Inside Flap Posited as a cure for culturally bound illness with widespread symptoms, the Falun Gong movement's efficacy among the marginalized relies on its articulation of a struggle against government sanctioned exploitation in favor of idealistic moral aspirations. In countering such a position, the Chinese government alleges that the religious movement is based in superstition and pseudoscience. Aided by her insider perspective, the author deftly employs Western rhetorical methodology in a compelling critique of an Eastern rhetorical occurrence, highlighting how authority confronts challenge in postsocialist China. About the Author The author, writing under the pseudonym Xiao Ming, was a Chinese diplomat and official of the Ministry of Culture before coming to the United States. A graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Pittsburgh, she now teaches communication at a private college in Pennsylvania.